story: Since the Protestant Reformation, the most prominent Christian denomination in Thuringia has been Lutheranism. During the GDR period, church membership was discouraged and has continued shrinking since the reunification in 1990. Today over two thirds of the population is non-religious. The Protestant Evangelical Church in Germany has had the largest number of members in the state, adhered to by 24.0% of the population in 2009. Members of the Catholic Church formed 7.8% of the population, while 68.2% of Thuringians were non-religious or adhere to other faiths. The highest Protestant concentrations are in the small villages of southern and western Thuringia, whereas the bigger cities are even more non-religious (up to 88% in Gera). Catholic regions are the Eichsfeld in the northwest and parts of the Rhön Mountains around Geisa in the southwest. Protestant church membership is shrinking rapidly, whereas the Catholic Church is somewhat more stable because of Catholic migration from Poland, Southern Europe and West Germany. Other religions play no significant role in Thuringia. There are only a few thousand Muslims (largely migrants) and about 750 Jews (mostly migrants from Russia) living in Thuringia. Furthermore, there are some Orthodox communities of Eastern European migrants and some traditional Protestant Free churches in Thuringia without any societal influence.
questions: what is the biggest church in Germany?
questions: what percent of the local people are in that church?
questions: what other group has a large percentage of people in it?
questions: are most people a part of one of these groups?
questions: what other ethnic groups are there in this area?
questions: where are they originally from?
questions: how many are there?
questions: when did church-going really start decreasing in the area?
questions: why did it decrease?
questions: is catholicism decreasing as quickly?
questions: why not?
questions: and from what other areas?
answers: The Protestant Evangelical Church
answers: The Protestant Evangelical Church in Germany has had the largest number of members in the state
answers: 24.0% of the population in 2009
answers: adhered to by 24.0% of the population in 2009
answers: the Catholic Church
answers: Members of the Catholic Church formed 7.8% of the population
answers: no
answers: while 68.2% of Thuringians were non-religious
answers: Muslims, Jews
answers: There are only a few thousand Muslims (largely migrants) and about 750 Jews
answers: migrants from Russia
answers: Jews (mostly migrants from Russia)
answers: about 750 Jews
answers:  about 750 Jews
answers: During the GDR period
answers: During the GDR period, church membership was discouraged
answers: church membership was discouraged
answers: church membership was discouraged
answers: no
answers: Catholic Church is somewhat more stable
answers: Catholic migration from Poland
answers: Catholic migration from Poland
answers: Southern Europe and West Germany
answers: Southern Europe and West Germany